


The Hostage

by Julz_daggerz88



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Angst, Character Death, Graphic Violence, Hurt Obi-Wan Kenobi, Mind Manipulation, Obi-Whump, Qui-Gon Jinn Lives, dark side collar, hopefully happy ending??, maybe?? - Freeform, non consensual drug use, pretty dark
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-18
Updated: 2020-06-26
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:14:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 21,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22783894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Julz_daggerz88/pseuds/Julz_daggerz88
Summary: During the Battle of the Fates, Obi-Wan is taken hostage...and it’s all pretty much downhill from there
Comments: 60
Kudos: 146





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is gonna get pretty violent, pretty fast - so be warned!   
>  I have the first couple chapters written but am posting while out of town so am only doing one chapter at a time.  
> Let me know what you think!

"This cannot be happening," Obi-Wan thought in horror.

The same red and black tattooed warrior from his dreams was right in front of him, with the same kriffing two sided sword. He knew how this would end. He'd felt the pain and heat of the lightsaber as if it were his own chest that was penetrated. He'd felt the snap of the bond and sudden coldness rush over his senses as he'd seen his Master collapse from a mortal wound, bathed in a red glow. He'd seen it all before and knew what the outcome would be.

"I can change a vision…"

He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't see the Sith's foot snap out and kick him in the face. He flew back off the small walkway. With every ounce of determination, he gathered the Force and twisted in mid-air, grabbing on to the walkway with his left hand. His Master and the Dark warrior continued their dance of death - making their way closer to the reactor pit.

He knew what would happen when they got there. A mental picture flashed in his mind of seeing his Master with a lightsaber run through his chest as he watched through the red laser field.

He couldn't, no, wouldn't let that happen.

Using the Force again, he propelled himself toward the fight. As he ran, he put out his left hand and flicked it to the left, using the Force to forcefully push his Master off the walkway and into space. He didn't even spare a glance to look as his Master manipulated the Force to land on the ramp beneath him. A wave of relief washed through him seconds before he engaged his lightsaber with the Sith's weapon.

He slashed at this enemy, looking for any openings in the Sith's defenses. Finding none, he performed an aerial jump, attacking from above and landing behind the attacker with his back to the reactor pit. The Sith fought with renewed energy, quickly attacking with several powerful blows, pushing Obi-Wan back toward the pit. With a mighty Force push from the Sith, Obi-Wan felt himself fly backwards through the reactor walkway. The Sith ran toward the Jedi to slash at him while he was on the ground. Obi-Wan countered the downward blow in the nick of time.

Feeling a warning from the Force, he rolled over seconds before a laser shield went down between the Sith and Obi-Wan. This gave him some precious seconds to recover. He slowly got up from the ground and turned to the Sith. He could see Qui-Gon at the very end of the reactor hallway, waiting for the laser doors to open so he could join the fight. He wouln't let his Master be anywhere near the pit. He would not risk his vision coming to fruition.

"I'm sorry Master," he whispered aloud and through the bond. He could feel Qui-Gon's confusion and frustration. It wasn't until all the laser reactor doors opened except his that he understood what was happening. Obi-Wan had somehow jammed the laser door between Qui-Gon and the fight.

"Obi-Wan, what are you doing? Unblock the door!" he ordered with his mind. He could see his Padawan and the Sith battling through the red laser field.

"No Master." Obi-Wan answered back through the bond, "I won't let …" the voice broke off as he parried a deadly overhead strike, "you die."

Qui-Gon swore softly, closing his eyes as he accessed the Force. Obi-Wan was incredibly strong, but Qui-Gon had experience on his side. He found the Force block on the door and pushed against it with all the power he could muster and found it slowly start to release.

The Sith and Obi-Wan continued their fight by the reactor pit. Obi-Wan had pushed the Dark warrior against the wall. He attacked with multiple strikes which the Sith blocked each time. The last strike was blocked just inches from the tattooed creatures jaw.

"You better get your Master to come help you," the Dark warrior spat, breathing heavy, "do you actually think you can best me yourself?"

Obi-Wan responded by knocking his blade away and kicking out with his leg. The Sith jumped over the kick and Force-pushed the Padawan into the wall. He heard the sharp crack as Obi-Wan's head made contact with the steel surface. He used this opportunity to take a small dart from his belt and throw it at the Jedi. The dazed Obi-Wan barely managed to dodge the attack.

Once again, Obi-Wan found himself on the ground, defending himself from above attacks. With his back on the floor, he blocked a downward strike that would surely have decapitated him, if not for his Force enhanced reflexes. He rolled backwards and returned to an upright stance. The Sith leaped forward with several swift strikes until he had Obi-Wan pinned against the wall, red and blue sabers locked together, Sith and Jedi inches apart, each pushing against the other.

"I had a dream I killed your pathetic master", the Sith taunted, voice reflecting the strain of the fight, "I will kill you slowly so you can watch him die."

"NO!" shouted Obi-Wan. He used a sudden burst of energy to kick out the Sith's legs, block his lightsaber attack that followed and elbow him in the mouth. The Sith backed up, surprised by the sudden attack and even more surprised that he was bleeding. He wiped his hand across his lip, smearing the blood that flowed from the wound.

"Now you have made me angry." He said in a quiet deadly voice.

Extinguishing his saber, the Sith half turned as he created a small ball of Force energy in his right hand and quickly hurled it at Obi-Wan. He continued in his spin as he used the Force to send the dart lying on the floor flying into the Jedi at the same time as the energy attack.

Obi-Wan leaped to the left to avoid the Force blast, but couldn't move fast enough for the dart. It hit him square in his upper thigh. Immediately, intense pain spread throughout his leg, while at the same time, he felt the Force flee from his grasp.

Force suppression, Obi-Wan thought as he went down to one knee, dizzy from the pain and sudden withdraw from the life Force that he pulled from. He tried not to gasp from the fire in his thigh that was quickly moving up his body. He went to reach down and pull the evil weapon from his leg… that's when he realized he couldn't move his right arm.

Qui-Gon was quickly hammering away on the Force block that Obi-Wan had created. He gasped as he felt a phantom pain in this leg and then nothing from the bond to his Padawan. Immediately, the hold against the door released.

"Force no, Obi-Wan" he yelled. The Master used the Force to run as fast as he could to the reactor pit.

"Please, Force, let him be alive," he thought.

The scene that greeted him there, he would remember for the rest of his life. Obi-Wan was hovering three inches from the ground. He was completely pale and covered in sweat. His eyes were half closed and his whole body trembled. His lips moved but no words came out. Behind him stood the Sith. He had his right hand on the Jedi's throat and the left hand holding his extinguished lightsaber under the man's jaw.

"I wouldn't come any closer if you want your precious Padawan's head connected with his body."

"What did you do to him," Qui-Gon asked, feeling the Force shimmer from the anger he felt. He held his lightsaber at the ready, mind racing to come up with a plan.

"Something of my own making," the Sith said with a pleased look, "An incredibly painful Force suppression poison that paralyzes the victim. If he could speak, he would liken his current condition to burning alive." He paused to let his words sink in and growled. "I promise, it's much worse than it sounds."

"Let him go." Qui-Gon responded steadily, "He's only an apprentice. Why don't you see if you can defeat a Jedi Master – unless you're afraid you'll lose."

He knew it was a slim chance, but if he could appeal to the Sith's pride…

"Ah, but this one is much more pretty," said the Sith, gesturing his head up and down to look at the damaged Jedi. "And all the… Light," he practically spat the word, "It will be fun to see what he thinks of my other toys…" The Sith released his right hand from Obi-Wan's neck and ran it through the Padawan's short hair.

"I think I'll keep him instead." He said with a wicked grin. He turned his yellow eyes toward Qui-Gon. "Now, drop your lightsaber down the reactor shaft."

"Not likely," came the response.

The Dark Warrior scowled. Keeping his lightsaber against the young man's neck, he reached on his back for a red dagger. He swung it in front of him and slammed it into Obi-Wan's thigh.

Obi-wan cried out once as a new pain flooded his senses. He gasped as the Sith twisted the dagger in his flesh.

"Because I will continue stabbing him right in front of you until you comply with my requests."

Qui-Gon was torn. If he threw his lightsaber down, he would essentially be powerless to stop the Sith or save Obi-Wan, yet if he kept it, the Sith would slowly kill his Padawan in front of him.

"Don't, Qui-Gon" Obi-Wan said quickly between breaths, his voice ragged from the pain. He gasped as the Sith twisted the dagger in his flesh.

"Do it now Qui-Gon," yelled the Sith, eyes flashing in anger.

Obi-Wan was breathing heavily and as his blue-green eyes locked on to Qui-Gon, he shook his head no.

Qui-Gon sighed in defeat, he had to do what he could to keep Obi-Wan alive as long as possible, whether his apprentice approved or not. He wouldn't watch him be murdered because of his actions.

Forgive me he whispered, never taking his eyes off his Padawan as he dropped his lightsaber down the shaft. He watched as Obi-Wan's eyes closed in despair at the sound of the metal clanging against the walls.

"Smart choice, old man" the Sith responded.

"Take me instead." Qui-Gon asked, "You've done enough to him. A Master for an apprentice – surely you can see the advantage..." He bowed his head, hoping the Sith would agree to the exchange.

"I think not," answered the Sith.

"Put on these cuffs," he left the dagger in the Padawan as he reached in his belt for a pair of Force suppressant cuffs and tossed them to the Master.

Qui-Gon picked up the cuffs and paused, the uncertainty showing in the face. The Sith swiftly removed the dagger and was about to swing it into another spot on Obi-Wan's leg when Qui-Gon's yell cut him short.

"I'll do it, just please, don't cause him any more pain." he pleaded. He cuffed his wrists in front of him, feeling the Force slowly drain out of him.

"We'll be leaving now. If you follow us, I will kill him. If you alert anyone, I will kill him. If you leave this room, I will kill him. Do you understand?"

Qui-Gon bowed his head, his mind thinking of any way to save his Padawan. The Sith had turned away by now and was using the Force to take his Padawan with him. Doing the only thing he could think of, he shouted,

"Obi-Wan, I will find you. Just hold on."

Though Qui-Gon could only see the back of the men, he could just make out the slight nod of the young Jedi's head. The Sith stopped in his tracks with his back turned to Qui-Gon. He spun around and with a crackling of energy, send a Force blast directly toward the Master. It hit Qui-Gon square in the chest, slamming him into the wall. As he slipped into unconsciousness, he heard Obi-Wan give another yell. Something hit him on the forehead. Before his eyes closed, he was able to see what it was… a Padawan braid.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I got my chapters mixed up... this is the “Pissed off Qui-Gon” chapter - the next one will be the “beat the s**t out of Obi” chapter...  
> And not sure how I feel about the imagery in the beginning - I must have been playing Alan Wake when I wrote this, so...yeah  
> And I totally saw Ewan McGregor’s doppelganger on my plane!! He even had the Obi-Wan accent AND beard! And just when I was positive it was him - I realized there was NO way he’s be flying coach out of Allentown airport..ahh well  
> Comments/suggestions are always appreciated!!!  
> And without further ado~

_Qui-Gon was running through the dark woods. The leaves swirled around him and the trees swayed from the gusts of wind that came with his every step. He didn't know how he got here or why he was running, but his chest was hurting and his heart panic-stricken with anxiety and despair. His mind told him to find him, but he couldn't place who he was supposed to look for._

_He could just make out a clearing ahead, a welcome relief from the onslaught of dark whipping branches. As he broke through the tree line, he found himself looking at a large circular lake with an old wooden pier attached to it. He could make out a figure standing at the end of the rickety pier, looking into the churning black water below. Somehow, everything depended on him reaching this figure. He ran down the pier, his heavy footsteps echoing across the lake, the dark storm clouds swirling above him. He was twenty feet away when the figured turned toward him. It was a boy about 16 standard years, his handsome face tear stained as though he'd been weeping for hours._

" _Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said softly, "why are you crying?"_

" _I'm sorry, Master," His cultured voice carried across the wind and he slowly walked back toward the end of the pier, "please, find me." Another step brought the boy closer to the edge._

" _Obi-Wan, NO" shouted Qui-Gon as he leaped to grab the boy. He reached out and caught empty air as the youth took one more step off the pier into the black murky water._

" _Obi-Wan!" he called looking into the back abyss, terror seeping through his skin, "Obi-Wan!"…_

"Obi-Wan!" Qui-Gon woke with a start, his eyes snapping open to see familiar brown eyes looking back at him.

"Qui-Gon, calm down. You were injured." replied Mace, placing his hand on Qui-Gon's chest to keep him from getting up. He removed his hand when he saw his friend wince in pain.

"I took the liberty to remove the force cuffs…" Mace could see the grief in his friend's face, "Qui-Gon, what happened here?"

"It's Obi-Wan, the Sith took him," he spoke as he quickly sat up, only to be overcome with dizziness from the sudden movement. He shook his head gently, trying to will the dizziness away.

"We need to hurry; he'll probably still be on the planet." He reached out across his bond, but was not surprised when he felt it blocked on Obi-Wan's end. The Sith would know that he could use the bond to find his Padawan, so most likely he was keeping Obi-Wan in some sort of Force suppression device.

"Qui-Gon, slow down, you can't help anyone in the state you are in." replied Mace. "Besides, we have all the spaceports closed down due to the war, the Sith couldn't have gone far.

Qui-Gon took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He felt the Force around him and used it to calculate his injuries. Although he would be badly bruised, the wounds had no long-lasting effects.

"You weren't there, Mace." Qui-Gon said quietly, "I saw how the Sith looked at Obi-Wan. His Force signature was that of anger and hate toward the Jedi. If we don't find him soon, he will kill Obi-Wan. There is no doubt of that."

"Then we'll just have to find him before that happens." replied Mace. He reached down to help Qui-Gon up. "Yoda, Adi Gallia and Ki-Adi-Mundi are with the Queen. We need to meet up with them. They will want to hear about this Sith warrior."

"Mace, there's no time…"

"Qui-Gon, I know you want to find your Padawan. But we need to keep the others informed. Once you give your report, you can continue the search for Obi-Wan."

Qui-Gon stood slowly. He knew he didn't have time to waste. But he also knew that they could cover far more ground with four Jedi then with one. He nodded curtly to his friend.

"Lead the way."

As he followed Mace down the corridors, he replayed the fight through his head. Obi-Wan had acted so strangely. Why had he worked so hard to keep Qui-Gon away from the Sith. First the push off the ramp, and then the block on the reactor corridor. It was as if Obi-Wan was afraid to let him fight.

_Why Obi-Wan? I should have been there. Together we could have defeated him._

He could make no sense of it.

"Mace," he asked suddenly, "how is it that you got here so quickly?"

"Yoda felt a disturbance in the Force. We thought it was wise to come and investigate. I'm glad we did."

"You should have gotten here earlier." Qui-Gon spoke. He knew he should release his anger to the Force. But with the combined headache and the anxiety for finding his Padawan, he couldn't help his sharp comment.

He could see Mace's footsteps hesitate and then continue moving. _Wise move,_ he thought. He was in no mood to be lectured.

They walked in silence for ten minutes until they reached the throne room. There, they found the Queen sitting at the royal table talking with Yoda, Adi and Ki-Adi-Mundi. Behind the Queen he could see Panaka and some other military officials going over maps and blueprints.

All eyes turned to the doorway as Qui-Gon and Mace entered the room.

"Master Qui-Gon" spoke the Queen. Her eyes swept the battered face of the elder Jedi and continued to the doorway, expecting to see the younger Jedi padawan walk in after his master. Mace locked eyes with Yoda and shook his head ever so slightly. The Queen returned her gaze to Qui-Gon.

"Was Padawan Kenobi injured?" She asked hesitantly, her face showing her concern.

"He was taken by the Sith." Qui-Gon responded, his voice sounding stronger then he felt. Turning to the other Jedi, he added "Masters, could we speak somewhere private."

The Queen nodded toward a doorway. "There is a conference room down the hallway. It has already been cleared by our guards.

"Thank you, Your Highness" said Qui-Gon, as he started walking toward the room. The sooner he briefed the other Masters, the sooner he could start searching for Obi-Wan. As he walked, he could sense Adi coming up beside him. "Qui-Gon, is Obi-Wan…"

"He's alive." he said. He turned into a room with the others following behind him. Mace was the last to arrive and quickly shut the door behind them.

"Tell us more of this Sith, you will." spoke Yoda as all eyes turned toward Qui-Gon.

Qui-Gon took a deep breath. "It was the same red and black warrior I fought on Tatooine. He was an incredibly skilled fighter and very strong in the Dark side. Obi-Wan and I got separated and when I reached them, the Sith was holding Obi-Wan hostage. He used some kind of poison dart to keep him paralyzed. He told me to drop my lightsaber or he would kill Obi-Wan. He then told me to put on Force suppression handcuffs and knocked me out. The next thing I remember is waking up with Mace.

Adi Galla was the first to speak, "So it has begun."

"Here with us, the Dark Side has always been." Yoda placed both hands on his walking stick, "In hiding, it was." He looked at the floor and shook his head to the side. "Disturbs me greatly, that Padawan Kenobi was taken."

"Mace informed me that the planet is on lockdown, which means the Sith must still be here. We can cover more ground if we split up." said Qui-Gon.

"Received a transmission, Naboo communications did. Traced a connection from the reactor pit to Coruscant about 3 standard hours ago." spoke Yoda.

"Qui-Gon, you didn't transmit out from the reactor pit, did you?" asked Adi.

"No." replied the Jedi.

"There is a good chance" explained Ki-Adi-Mundi, "that the Sith may have transmitted his report. If we can trace it, it could lead us directly to his conspirators."

"But tracing a communication of that distance means you would have to leave immediately to get the correct co-ordinances." spoke Qui-Gon, confusion clearly written on his face.

There was a knock, followed by the door opening as one of the generals peered around the opening. "Masters, the ship is finished refueling and ready for takeoff."

Mace inwardly winced. _This will not be good_ , he thought as he felt the air trickle with static electricity.

"You're leaving us." Spoke Qui-Gon, his voice an octave lower. It was not a question.

"We have been researching this Sith and came upon reports on some of the planets on the Outer Rim. We have reason to believe that this warrior is just the apprentice. We need to find the Master." replied Ki-Adi-Mundi.

"And what of my Padawan? The Sith will kill him as soon as he has no use for him. We need all the help we can get to cover the most ground." said Qui-Gon.

" _Your_ Padawan, Master Jinn? The same Padawan you want to push for the trials, so you can take another?" Mundi asked, ignoring the look of outrage on Qui-Gon's face. "If you hadn't let your emotions get in the way, we would have the Sith in custody right now." He lowered his voice as he continued, "I think you have made enough bad decisions for one day."

Mace watched anxiously as the two Jedi argued. He knew he could intervene at any moment, but with Yoda present, he would let him make that call. His eyes automatically went to the heavy table now levitating 4 inches off the ground. The room was thick with tension and the Force alive with buzzing energy. He glanced at Yoda, wondering how long he would let this play out.

"How dare you talk to me about _my_ Padawan. And what would you have had me do – let the Sith kill him before my eyes?" spoke Qui-Gon as he took a step toward the taller Jedi. He could feel his anger rising to dangerous levels, in front of council members no less, but at this point, he didn't care.

"Tell me this, Qui-Gon." Ki-Adi-Mundi said loudly. 'Is your one padawan worth the future of the entire Jedi order?"

"And what if I say yes?" responded Qui-Gon quickly.

"Then I'd say you're a fool." replied Ki-Adi-Mundi, fast as lightning.

There was a loud crash as the vase on the window sill shattered into several pieces.

"Enough." Yoda had decided it was time to step in. He heard the table drop back to the ground. He walked in between the two Jedi, his eyes glancing at one, then the other. "Helping no one, this is." He looked at Ki-Adi-Mundi, "Go the ship with Adi, you will.

Mundi glared at Qui-Gon once more, then turned quickly and exited the room. Adi Galla walked over to Qui-Gon and put her hand on his arm.

"If anyone can find him, Qui-Gon, you will." she said softly. Qui-Gon nodded as she turned away and left the room.

Yoda turned to Qui-Gon. "Unfortunate, this is. Wish I could be here, I do." He placed both hands on the walking stick. "Volunteered to help you in the search, Mace has." His eyes met Qui-Gon's eyes, "Find Kenobi, you must." Qui-Gon nodded to the elder master. "May the Force be with you." said Yoda.

"As with you." replied Qui-Gon, sighing in frustration. His anger was gone as quickly as it came and in its place was only anxiety for his lost Padawan. He needed to meditate on what was said and his feeling about all this – but there was no time. He and Mace watched in silence as Yoda made his way out the door.

Qui-Gon glanced sideways at Mace, "You could have warned me." he said.

"And have you be mad at me?" replied Mace. His eyes found the broken vase. "I hope that wasn't an antique."

Qui-Gon walked to the broken pottery and began to quickly pick up the pieces. "Where do you think we should start?" asked Mace as he knelt next to Qui-Gon.

"We can start with the security tapes. If we can find out how he left the palace, we could track him from there." said Qui-Gon as he took the broken pieces to the trash receptacle.

"Alright, let's get to work." said Mace.

* * *

Obi-Wan's eyes snapped open. At least, he assumed they opened. All he could see was blackness. He moved his head slightly, looking for the slightest bit of light, trying to see if he could get a glimpse of his surroundings. He tried to connect with the Force, but it was futile. The Sith must have given him another force suppression drug. He carefully moved his arms and legs, starting with his toes and working his way up his body. He let his breath out in a hiss as he came to his injured left thigh. The mangled flesh felt warm to the touch; no doubt infection was starting to set in. The Sith had taken his boots, cloak and undershirt, and the durasteel floor was cold on his bare back.

" _Well, I'm alive, if that means anything."_ he thought grimly.

He carefully sat himself into a sitting position and gingerly pulled the material away from the injury. He then reached across his body to tear strips of fabric from the bottom of his pant legs to make a tourniquet for the wound. Satisfied with his home-made bandage, he proceeded to maneuver his way to the right to see if he could reach the wall of his prison.

As he was carefully shuffling to the right, a door suddenly slide open behind him. He heard footsteps walk in the room as he turned his head to face his captor. Immediately, he found himself Force-held into place, two feet above the ground, his legs dangling and arms pinned to his side, staring into the yellow eyes of his Sith captor.

"I'm glad to find you awake," said the Sith as he eyed the Jedi.

"We have much to discuss" he said as he walked past his captive toward another doorway. He entered a code into the wall display and was rewarded with a resounding chime as the door slid open. Inside was a collection of knives, vibroshifts, whips and other dangerous looking objects. The Sith took out a thick baton with two prongs on the end of it and slowly walked back to stand in front of Obi-Wan.

"Now, where should we begin?" asked the Sith with an evil smirk.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And.......on to the next!!!

" _This is certainly not the most pleasant situation I've been in."_ thought Obi-Wan as the Sith swung the ugly looking baton in small circles as he paced in front of the Force held Jedi. Once again he tried to grasp the Force, but it slipped like oil between his fingers.

"Who are you?" he asked as he looked his captor over. The response was a powerful swing from the baton across the right side of his face. Obi-Wan's head snapped to the side, his mouth filled with the metallic taste of blood.

"That is for speaking when not spoken to," replied the Sith as he delivered another blow to the left of Obi-Wan's face, whipping his head the opposite direction.

"And that is for the trouble you have caused me."

Obi-Wan blinked his eyes rapidly, trying to clear the stars that were now floating before him. He returned a steady gaze to his captor as if nothing had happened; the two bright red marks on his face and cracked lip were the only indicator of the beating.

The Sith took a step back, surveying his captive, his eyes raking the shirtless apprentice. He flicked his right hand and Obi-Wan went flying backwards through the air, hitting the wall with a crack. The impact dropped him to the ground, where he rolled to the right to avoid landing on his injured left leg. He exhaled slowly as he got to his feet, using his good leg to support most of his weight.

He would not let the Sith see how weak his body was. He could still feel some lingering effects from the poison dart and he hadn't eaten anything since the evening of the day before he and Qui-Gon had faced the Sith in the reactor pit.

The Sith walked toward him slowly, the black baton hanging from his left hand. As he neared Obi-Wan, he swung the baton at his head. Obi-Wan ducked under the swing, only to be grabbed by his shoulders and pulled in for a knee to the abdomen. The Sith immediately let go of the Jedi as Obi-Wan fell backwards against the wall and gasped for air. Not giving him a moment to recover, the Sith directed the baton at his kidneys, hearing a resounding smack as it made contact with his bare skin. He grabbed the Jedi by the throat and pinned him straight up against the wall. He tightened his grip, hearing the wheezing sound of air fighting its way in and out as Obi-Wan tried to breathe.

Obi-Wan moved much quicker than anyone in his condition should. He kicked out with his injured foot and hit the Sith three inches above his right knee. He then brought his right arm around and down on top of the arm that was pinning him to the wall while at the same time, slamming his left palm at the Sith's chin. The Sith took a step back from the force of the blow.

Obi-Wan struck at the Sith again, knowing this might be his only change to escape. He stepped forward and delivered a powerful elbow to the Sith's temple, knocking him to the left. The Sith staggered for a second, but recovered quickly. As Obi-Wan went to backhand him once more in the same spot, the Sith took the opportunity to deliver a quick punch directly to Obi-Wan's make-shift bandage on his injured thigh. Obi-Wan's blow landed weak as the pain of the strike temporarily blinded him. The Sith used the Force to call the baton to his hand and pushed a button on the handle. The soft buzz was the only warning Obi-Wan had before the Sith pushed the now electric weapon into the Jedi's unprotected chest. Obi-Wan let out an audible shout as the current ravaged through his body. He fell to the ground as the Sith straightened, still holding the electric in place.

All Obi-Wan could do was try to keep from crying out as the Sith looked down with his yellow eyes, watching the Jedi squirm with each additional current flowing through him. To Obi-Wan it seemed as hours had passed before the electric was turned off. He lay there, gasping, as the Sith watched him.

He was in a semi daze as he was dragged to the center of the room and chains were attached to his wrists. His legs felt like jelly and he was forced to kneel with his arms straight up, as the chains were the only thing keeping him vertical.

The Sith came and stood in front of him. Obi-Wan could see the blood trickling from the corner of the Sith's mouth where he had managed to hit him. As if reading his thoughts, the Sith reached up and wiped the blood from his face with his hand. Kneeling beside the apprentice, he took his hand and smeared it on the Jedi's bare chest, a red stain easily visible against his white skin.

"You will pay for that." he growled.

The Sith stood slowly and walked around the shackled Jedi. As he got back in front of Obi-Wan, he kicked him hard in the face. Obi-Wan's whole body turned from the force of the strike. The dark warrior walked over to a corner of the room behind the Jedi. Obi-Wan heard a lever crank, and then his body began to rise as the chains around his wrists pulled him into a standing position. He heard the chime of the door as it opened to the vault of weapons. He stood on his feet and looked forward with determination. He was curious what awaited him but didn't want to give the Sith the satisfaction of his backward glance.

He didn't have to wait long. There was the sound of something whipping through the air, and a moment later the crack as it collided on his bare back. The pain was intense and breathtaking. Obi-Wan briefly closed his eyes, trying to adjust to the next level of pain. As he awaited the next strike, he mentally prepared himself. He would not show weakness to this Sith. He would not show how tired he was or how shaky he felt. He would not show sickness or hunger or thirst.

" _Thirst._

_Like the time on the planet Gorman where the short villagers thought that Qui-Gon, being so tall, must drink 5 times the normal dose of the sweet fermented drink than the traditional average 3 foot tall local. After trying to convince the villagers otherwise, and not wanted to offend the grateful residents – much to the amusement of Obi-Wan, he proceeded to down the whole drink in 10 swallows. Later that night, after he had spent most of the hours in the refresher, he had told his Padawan that,_

" _Even if I am dying of thirst, I will not drink another drop of that foul drink."_

Obi-Wan allowed himself a small smile at the memory, just as he heard the swoosh of the whip in the air. The blow raked him from rib to rib, leaving a trail of fire in its wake.

" _And on his 21_ _st_ _Name Day, when, after a night of drinking with Bant, Garen and Reeft, he came home and according to Qui-Gon, "confessed his undying love to the leftover crisp cake in the cooling unit" and then promised to do Qui-Gon's laundry for a year."_

_He could see the laughter in his Master's eye as he told him this the next morning, and, since Obi-Wan had no recollection of the night before, had grudgingly complied to the task, albeit a little skeptical._

Crack! The whip striked again.

" _And the time when…."_ Crack! The whip came down rapidly, faster and harder than the time before. Again and again if fell on his back and shoulders, leaving anger red welts and cuts. After what seemed like an eternity, and left Obi-Wan barely able to stand, he heard footsteps walk again to the cabinet. The lever was released as the chains were lowered back to the original length.

Obi-Wan stood, his hands down to his side, refusing to kneel with his captor in the room. He never heard the Sith, but felt the boot kick his legs out from under him. He fell to his knees hard, his hands now above him and hanging from the cursed chains.

The Sith took advantage of the Jedi's immobilized position and, drawing the Dark side of the Force, delivered a powerful blow to the young man's face. The physical abuse was getting to be too much for Obi-Wan's body. As black spots swam before his eyes and his consciousness started to slip, the Sith knelt down and used his hand to cup the Jedi's face.

"Look at me" said the Sith. Obi-Wan weakly tried to shake the hand off his face, but it just got tighter. "Look at ME", the Sith repeated, anger radiating off his body. Obi-Wan met the Sith's gaze, defiance blazing in his crystal blue eyes. He was only inches away from the Sith's face, close enough to feel his breath on his skin.

"Listen and listen carefully," he said, soft as a whisper, "You don't know who I am… what I am capable of… the things I can do to you."

"The only reason you are alive is because I _will_ it." He tightened his grip slightly, watching Obi-Wan's eyes wince in pain. "By the time I am through, you will beg for death…only to be denied. You will _always_ be mine."

He watched as blood ran from a new wound down Obi-Wan's face and onto his fingers. He roughly released his chin from his grip. He watched as the Jedi's head dropped and didn't rise again. He exited the room and extinguished the lights, locking the door behind him as he went.

Maul allowed himself a grim smile as he went. He enjoyed the challenge this Jedi presented. He thrived off of the fear of others, but it was always so easy to get. Most were afraid as soon as he walked into the room. A threat and some aggressive persuasion was all it took for the rest … but this Jedi was… different. He sensed pain, confusion, surprise – but no fear. It was annoying as much as it was fascinating. How long would it take to get that reaction? And how long would it take to break his stubbornness, his defiance. He'd never had a Jedi at his personal disposal – now was the time to see exactly what they were made of and how to break them.

It would be hard work to break this one, he knew, but Maul loved a challenge. He wanted to make Kenobi beg for death, it was now his personal mission. And he deserved a little fun.

He walked down a silver hallway until he came to a clear cylinder tube at one end. He got inside the turbo shaft and pushed a code in the keypad. A second later, he heard the whirling as the turbo shaft made its way up to the first floor. The doors opened to a black void. He exited and made a sharp left, walking down a dark hallway. He entered a room and heard the satisfied hiss of the secret door sliding shut. Walking across the room, his thoughts went to the look on the old man's face when he had seen his _Padawan_ all strung up with the lightsaber to his neck.

" _If only he could see him now."_

He thought about telling his Master about the Jedi locked in his dungeon but decided against it. Knowing his Master, he probably already knew. He had a way of knowing all things, a trait that Maul found incredibly infuriating. He had gone to great lengths to keep this place hidden from all – including Darth Sidious. A Sith does not trust anyone – especially another Sith.

He had set up this base three years ago as a front for an eco team researching the local fauna. It was easy to find a scientist anxious to give reports to the Naboo government and Maul had hidden the underground rooms very carefully. No longer needed the cover, he simply made the good doctor "retire" and now had the building to himself and a few of the mercenaries he hired to take care of the place.

If his Master didn't already know, he would be furious when he found out. But Maul didn't care. He thought back to the defiant look in Kenobi's eyes moments ago… yes, he would enjoy breaking his Jedi.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to all who commented and gave kudos - you are awesome!!!!  
> I kinda did forget about Anakin up until now -yikes!! But he’s in this one!  
> Hope all enjoy this extra long chapter!!

Qui-Gon bowed his head, pinching his nose between his fingers while giving his eyes a much needed break. He had spent the last 8 hours going over all the security tapes of the palace, courtyard and beyond, looking for any trace of his missing apprentice. Mace had taken the Queen's suggestion and was now at the Theed City Security building viewing the surrounding street security holos. If they were lucky, they could find a trace of the Sith and maybe where he was headed. Apparently, the Dark warrier had been well trained. He managed to block out all cameras after leaving the reactor pit and so far all of the cameras leaving the palace.

The Jedi audibly sighed. It was as if he had disappeared without a trace. Not only did this mean they had no clue as to where he might have gone, but he had no reassurance that the Sith hadn't killed Obi-Wan as soon as he left the palace.

' _Yes, I do,'_ He thought _, 'I would have sensed if that had happened."_

' _Would you, though?'_ A dark whisper resonated in his mind, _'Didn't you renounce your Padawan for another in front of the entire council?'_

' _I was going to speak with him about that, explain what I was thinking…'_ He argued with the tiny voice, trying to dispel the growing guilt pressing on his heart.

' _And now you may never have the chance.'_ The voice replied.

The realization of the truth of the statement echoed in his mind. What if he never had the chance to explain to his Padawan what happened that day?

He thought back to that moment… he wanted, no, _needed_ the Council to recognize how strongly he felt about the boy, Anakin Skywalker. And the best way to show them how he felt was to train the boy himself. He had felt the feelings of hurt and disappointment radiating off his apprentice before shields slammed into place. He hadn't meant to hurt Obi-Wan, he was just trying to prove to the Council he was serious about Anakin. The boy needed to be trained – it was obvious. He _was_ the Chosen One.

Afterward, he had every intention to sit his Padawan down and speak to him about it. To tell him he wasn't to be pushed aside, but he truly was ready to take the trials. But between taking care of Anakin and the upcoming battle of Naboo, it had never happened.

His hand automatically slipped into his tunic to feel his apprentice's padawan braid that was carelessly cut and thrown at him. This small item was so important to Obi-Wan, and instead of being respectfully cut and presented to him with love and honor, this Sith had violently disgraced a beautiful symbol of the Master/Padawan relationship. He could feel the end that was seared from the lightsaber and couldn't help the feeling of anger that washed over him. Qui-Gon took a deep breath. He needed to release his anger to the Force, not to mention his sense of guilt and remorse. But these latter emotions seemed to be more justified.

He had been too aloof with Obi-Wan recently. The last 6 months had been difficult to say the least. He and Obi-Wan had gone on mission after mission and it had begun to wear on him. The product of which had made him more abrupt with his emotionally sensitive padawan. When was the last time he told him how proud he was of him?

' _Focus on the present.'_ He thought. He could almost see his padawan rolling his eyes at that all too familiar mantra.

"Qui-Gon," A small voice seized him from his thoughts. He looked at the doorway to see Anakin standing nervously before him.

Qui-Gon managed a small smile, urging the boy to come in.

"Have you found anything yet?" the boy asked apprehensively.

"Unfortunately, not yet," he said, shaking his head, "but the Force will provide a way."

The boy looked to the holo in front of Qui-Gon, to the ground and back at Qui-Gon again. "I'm sorry that Obi-Wan was kidnapped, and I'm sorry that I didn't exactly stay where I was supposed to and I really hope you're not mad at me because I'm not the best at being a Jedi and…

"Slow down, Anakin," he said, touching the sandy haired boy on the shoulders. "I'm not mad at you at all, quite the opposite actually." He watched as the boy looked up with a growing smile on his face. "You did a great thing in that cockpit," he added, "And if Obi-Wan were here, I'm sure he would be the first to point out that you did technically stay where I told you to." He let a small smile reach his face, thinking of how his apprentice would have very much enjoyed stating just that to Qui-Gon.

"I know I have been distant, but I'm very concerned about finding Obi-Wan. It's nothing to do with being upset with you."

"Oh, that's good." came the boy's response. He was practically bouncing on his feet as he added, "Is there anything I can do, Master Qui-Gon? I want to find Obi-Wan too."

Just as Qui-Gon was to reply, a young girl stopped at the doorway in the familiar garb of the Queen's handmaiden.

"There you are, Ani!" she exclaimed when she saw the young boy. "The celebration is about to start and the Queen has asked for your company." She turned to the tall Master, "You presence is also asked, but the Highness understands if you would prefer to continue your investigations."

"The Queen is very thoughtful," said Qui-Gon, "and she is correct in her assumption."

He glanced at Anakin and added, "But I insist that Anakin join the celebration." He looked into the boys eyes which shown with excitement. "Represent the Jedi well, young one."

"I will, Master Qui-Gon, thank you!" replied Anakin with a grin as he left with the handmaiden.

With a sigh, the tall Jedi turned toward the holo screens. ' _Where are you Obi-Wan?'_

He once again tried to communicate through the bond with his apprentice, and once more was met with a foggy silence. Taking the braid out of his pocket, he closed his eyes and willed all his effort into the Force connection with his Padawan. _"I will find you, my Padawan. Don't give up Obi-Wan."_

* * *

The first thought that came to Obi-Wan's mind was how his whole body hurt. It wasn't until he tried to move his arms, hearing the jingle of chains, that he remembered where he was. As with every awakening, he reached for the bright side of the Force… and to his surprise, was greeted with a small trickle of light energy. He couldn't help but give a small smile. To have the Force, even a small amount, was a huge relief for the Jedi. After years of constant use, even an hour without the familiar, singing side of the Force was incredibly frustrating and draining. He drew as much of the Force around him as possible, dismayed when he couldn't seem to have his fill. It was as if the Force was there to remind him it was present, but not capable of much else.

' _At least this time he left a light on.'_ He thought, looking at the soft blue light coming from the doorway. He murmured in frustration and gingerly tried to move his right arm. He winced as his efforts were returned with the pins and needles associated with immobile limbs. Knowing it wasn't going to get any better hanging from his arms, he slowly staggered to his feet, trying to give his shoulders a much needed break. He had to hop on his right leg, as his left was far too tender to put any weight on. He glanced down and was not pleased with what he saw. He hadn't been able to thoroughly inspect himself before now, as he was previously in darkness and then distracted with the Sith.

He knew the Sith had taken his outer and inner tunic, as well as his boots, leaving him in only his cream colored trousers. At least, they used to be cream colored. Now they were more gray with blotches of red and brown colored hues. His make-shift bandage had loosened in the struggle with the Sith and he had a nice view of the knife wound on his thigh. It had been reopened in the fight and the flesh around the puncture was red and swollen.

He carefully inspected his chest and found some bruises, included a rather big one on his right side, most likely a broken rib. He had two small burns where the Sith had touched him with the electro-baton and he could see a few red inflamed jagged lines where the whip had reached around his back to his sides. His head felt distended and heavy, and he couldn't eradicate the semi-sweet taste of blood from his lips. As he had his chin down, he noticed something else amiss. Searching his brain for a moment, he realized what was different.

' _Mutha Kriff, he cut my braid.'_

He closed his eyes, letting a wave of anger wash over him. Even though it seemed like a small thing - compared to his other injuries, multiple abrasions and most likely broken bones – this was by far the most infuriating. For ten years he had grown his padawan braid, a symbol of years of dedication, hard work and training. And even though it wasn't his personal favorite accessory (how many times had he blamed it when losing a sparring match with an opponent) it was something he and his Master shared, weaving beads and cloth to mark special occasions in his journey to becoming a knight. And to have it carelessly cut and discarded, without his knowledge, seemed incredibly cruel.

' _It seems fitting though – Qui-Gon wanted a knight and now the ceremony is halfway completed.'_

He sighed in frustration, releasing his thoughts to the Force. Now was not the time to reminisce and dwell on THAT event in the council chambers… He needed to focus on the here and now if he was going to get out of this mess.

Using the small amount of Force he was limited to, he went into a healing trance, focusing most of the energy into his injured thigh. If he was going to escape, he needed to have full use of his legs. Several minutes later, he once again opened his eyes, satisfied to see the inflammation had retreated slightly and he could now put more pressure on his leg.

' _Well, it's a start'_ he thought grimly. Just as he was about to focus on his ribs, he heard the door slide open. He turned his attention to the dark robed figure and was surprised to see a smaller person walking in tow. In the Sith's hand was a 2' x 2' durasteel box which he held rather smugly. To his displeasure, he couldn't help but notice the way the bright light of the Force seemed to diminish almost completely around the package. Warning bells echoed and vibrated in the comforting tendrils that he knew as the Light.

An aroma brought his attention from the Sith to his smaller companion. At a closer inspection, the boy looked to be no older than twelve. He had brown curly hair cut short, and his eyes were wide with fright. In his hands, he carried a tray of soup and bread, with a small goblet of liquid. As they walked toward him, Obi-wan stood to his 5'10" height, meeting the Sith's gaze without reprieve.

They stopped, standing three feet in front of the shackled Jedi. Obi-Wan watched as the terrified boy looked up toward the Sith, and after a nod from the dark warrior, placed the tray of food on the ground and stood behind it. The smell of the food was enticing and Obi-Wan couldn't help the pangs of hunger that swept across his stomach at the scent. The Sith carefully placed the box on the ground and walked to the wall, where he lowered the chains that were previously supporting the Jedi upright. Thankful to have a little mobility, Obi-Wan brought his arms down to his side and found the chain had enough slack to reach down to the floor. He filed the information, ready to use it if an opportunity presented itself.

As the Sith walked back toward Obi-Wan, he eyed him eagerly, obviously pleased with the various marks and bruises he saw on the white skin.

"Are you hungry, my Jedi?" he asked with a glint in his eyes.

Obi-Wan stared back at the Sith, wanting desperately to skip this conversation all together. He did not feel like playing these games.

"Yes." he replied. The Force warned him a second before a fist slammed into his solar plexus. He doubled over, trying to catch his breath as the air was knocked out of him. A hand grabbed his hair and roughly pulled his head up to look into the red and black face before him.

"You will respond with Master when answering my questions." said the Sith.

He released him from his grip and punched him hard on the side of the face, watching his body turn to the right from the force of the blow. The Sith took a step back and watched as Obi-Wan straightened again and wiped his mouth with his hand, leaving a red trail of blood up his wrist. He took a breath and replied calmly, "I will not disrespect the title of Master by referring it to you, Sith."

Maul smiled, sending an involuntary chill down Obi-Wan's exposed back. It was as though he was expecting the response and was eager to give the penance. Still eying the Jedi, he untied his outer robe and dropped it on the floor, leaving him in his black pants. Obi-wan couldn't help but notice the same tattoos that covered the Sith's face also covered his chest and arms.

Using the Force, the Sith called two objects into his outstretched hands. Obi-Wan's eyes narrowed as he realized the objects were indeed black iron knuckles. He had seen the damage these small items could do in the lower levels of Coruscant, where this was a weapon of choice among gang rivals. He gathered the weakened Force around him as best he could. With his injuries and dulled use of the Force, he wouldn't be able to put up much of a fight… but that wouldn't stop him from trying.

D _éjà vu'_ popped across his mind as the first strike came from the left. Obi-Wan managed to dodge the blow, as well as the 2nd and 3rd, but the low kick to his side came out of nowhere. He felt the metal make contact with the skin just under his right arm and pain exploded at his ribs. A second later, his neck snapped to the side with a hit to the face. He blocked the fist aimed at the other side of his face, but was greeted with another blow to the stomach. White light shattered his vision and the next thing he knew, he was on his back. The Sith was on him immediately, kicking and punching the unarmed Jedi. Obi-Wan curled into a ball, weakly trying to shield his head from the worst of the multiple assaults that were targeting his body. He felt himself being lifted with the Force, no doubt to be an easier target for the Sith to attack.

The chained Jedi gathered the little of the light energy that he possessed and, with a small cry, pushed with all his might at the Sith. He fell to his knees as the energy that was holding his body immediately released him from its grip. He looked toward the Sith and saw that the Force push had enough strength to shove the captor back a few meters, but not enough to knock him off his feet. The tray of food that was placed neatly on the ground was now scattered on the floor. The air seemed to shimmer with the anger radiating off the tattooed creature. Time seemed to stand still for Obi-Wan. He could feel the blood flowing from the gash on his ribs, saturating the waistline of his trousers, the chains biting into his wrists, the pounding in his head beating in rhythm with his heart – all this he took in with astonishing clarity.

Obi-Wan watched from his position on the ground as the Sith walked over to the small box. He knelt beside it and punched in some buttons on the side. With a hiss, the box opened, releasing a small cloud of steam from inside. The Sith carefully pulled something larger out of the box and turned toward the Jedi.

It looked much like the electrocollars that were used in the slaving districts on the outer rim planets. It was about an inch taller than the standard collars and a deep gloss black obsidian color.

"By my home world there is a small planet, that is, as your Jedi would say, useless. There is no vegetation or water, only sand and rock." He paused, his eyes taking in the Jedi on his knees before him. "However, unknown to many, there was hidden a very special relic beneath the 'useless' dirt that is remarkable."

He kneeled down to whisper in the injured Jedi's ear, his voice rough, his breath warm against his neck. "Can you feel that, my little Jedi? Your precious Force trembling at the power in my hands."

Indeed, Obi-Wan did feel the fluctuation in the Force. It wasn't as though his treasured Force had vanished, it… changed. All the bright and innocent attributes were removed and were replaced with darker things, feared and twisted feelings. It was not an immediate transformation, but a slow and building conversion that had started when the Sith entered the room and was brought to a focal point when the item was retrieved from the box.

Even now, the darkness seemed to be growing in strength, forming a fog around those near it. Obi-Wan noticed the boy, who was not a force sensitive, back away. No doubt even he could feel the effects of the fear, anger and violence that was projected by the dark object that the Sith held in his hands.

"I was going to save this for later, but then realized, why postpone the inevitable."

With ease, the Sith found two hair-width seams in the smooth band and opened it so it was in two half-circle pieces, connecting at one end. As he brought it toward the Jedi, Obi-Wan tilted his upper body back, blocking the Sith with his arms. He did not want that _thing_ anywhere near his body. Using the Dark side of the Force, the Sith pushed the Jedi down to the ground, pressing him flat on his back, right arm out to the side. Placing his legs around the weakened Jedi, he kneeled over him, his knees pinning the Jedi's shoulders to the ground. Obi-Wan struggled hopelessly against the Sith, but it was no use. With the Sith's momentum and full use of the Force, he pushed his head roughly to the side and with a click, snapped the collar around his neck.

As soon as the collar touched Obi-Wan's skin, an explosion of feelings and images assaulted him. His body tingled with a foreign energy that originated from the collar snug around his neck. He was blinded by the flashes of light and bright colors that momentarily crossed his vision and the intense emotions that he felt – the uncontrolled bursts of fear, anger, hopelessness, power and despair that floated through his consciousness unrestrained. His body felt hot with excitement – like his cells would explode if he did not let lose some of this energy. He could feel it from his toes to elbows to fingertips – the blood flowing, itching to release this… _power_ he could feel gathering inside him. The urge was so strong and took him by such surprise that he almost gave into it.

He stopped himself abruptly in his thoughts – he focused on his breathing, taking deep breaths of oxygen and releasing… breathing and releasing… in and out. He was able to somewhat control his body, although he could still feel the charge pulsing through his limbs, it was muted. He struggled to take back his mind and get a hold on his emotions. It was like trying to focus on faces in a speeding shuttle car – he could see glimpses of each but they all blurred together. He was only dimly aware of those around him. Never in his life had he felt this confused, this out of control of his mind and body. He reached gingerly for the Force, only to find it clouded with the strength of some dark power. Instead of feeling the reassuring brightness and comfort that his connection with the Force usually brought, he felt an oily void touch his mind. The longer he searched for the light through the darkness, the more he felt it grab hold of his thoughts and feelings, twisting them into what he was not. He abandoned his search with disgust.

When he finally opened his eyes, he found himself in complete darkness. His first thought was that he was blinded. With his emotions so out of proportions, the panic of the thought overwhelmed all his other senses. He closed his eyes and tried to find his center without the use of the Force.

"There is no emotion, there is peace. There is not emotion, there is peace. There is not emotion, there is peace." He whispered the same saying he learned as a young boy over and over, focusing on how the words sounded coming out of his mouth instead of the tumultuous sensations that were amplified within his mind.

He once again opened his eyes and studied his surroundings. He sighed with relief when his eyes adjusted and he could make out a small amount of light under the doorway. He shifted his weight and groaned as he moved his bruised body. He rolled on his back, thankful the chains had been loosened and not pulled tight. He reached to his neck to feel the collar that was the source of his uninhibited loss of control. As soon as his fingertips brushed the surface, he gave a small cry and quickly pulled his hand away. The electro bolt that shot through his hand was a very apparent warning that he was not authorized to touch it. In anger, he slammed his still stinging hand down hard on the duracrete floor.

" _Who the kriff does he think he is, making me wear a_ _kriffing collar. I'll kill him."_ The thought momentarily stilled the pandemonium of emotions and he was blessed with the beauty of having only one feeling instead of the rush of emotions that he had been subjected to. He unconsciously found himself embracing this emotion – anything to keep the blurring tide of confusing senses temporarily muted…

He snapped his eyes opened in shock, realized he had just been willingly harboring an emotion Jedi are taught for years to release. Habit told him to let go of his anger – it was wrong and of darkness. But as soon as he strived to release this emotion to cling to one more befitting of a Jedi, the whiz of feelings cascaded over him and he was once again plunged into the deep waters of hopeless lack of control- like a prisoner trapped in the whirling emotions of his mind.

With nothing else to do, he stared into black nothingness. He felt like a child stranded in the middle of the ocean, tossed back and forth in a tempest sea of emotions. He became aware of the buzzing feeling of energy once again wash over him – or had it been there all along and he hadn't noticed? It hummed around his body as he tried to keep it under control. His skin tingled and he could feel himself tense from the electric currents charging through his muscles. He clenched his fists, trying to prevent his hands from shaking.

Time was relative – to Obi-Wan it could have been a couple minutes or a few hours. With each passing moment the strength was building within him, turning his insides into a fire that threatening to quench all within him. He gasped for breath as he arched his back, attempting to find relief from the growing inferno dwelling just under the surface. When he opened his eyes, he could see flashes of light, familiar faces and images from past and present. At one moment he saw the comforting blue eyes of his master, the next second they melted into the yellow eyes of the Sith. Emotions that he had endeavored to keep in check came rushing to the surface as the buzzing in his head became an unbearable pitch. He thrashed on the ground, oblivious to the cuts left by the chains on his wrists from his violent, sporadic movement. It was burning him alive from the inside – he could feel it, turning his bones to dust and boiling his blood.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no… _PLEASE_!" he shouted at the darkness, the pain causing his voice to crack. He wanted to die…surely it wouldn't be as excruciating as this… this pure _agony_ he was feeling right now.

He let a wild yell break the silence of the room as he slammed his fists to the ground. His vision went red as his body released the pent up energy that he tried so hard to contain.

Several seconds later, he lay on the floor panting. He was too exhausted to notice the scorch marks on the floor and walls around him, too tired to realize the smell of burnt fabric was not just his imagination, too fatigued to glance across the room at the pair of eyes observing in eagerness.

But one thing _was_ clear to the beaten, abused Jedi Padawan… Obi-Wan Kenobi was completely out of control.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Leapday!!!  
> So I’m getting close to the end of the chapters I have written... then there will be slower updates (hopefully not TOO slow!!)  
> Thanks to everyone who took the time to read this story so far!!

Obi-Wan awoke suddenly from his troubled sleep, his eyes snapping open at the unfamiliar touch. At the sound of a gasp, he quickly turned his neck to the side, taking in the small form sitting next to him. The boy shuffled back, knocking a small metal bowl over in his haste to get away from the blue and bloodshot eyes of the captive. A bloody hand shot out to grab the startled boys arm before it became out of reach.

"Please…water," came the weak plea, his eyes closing in pain with the effort. He felt the arm go ridged beneath his fingers and after a moment, move away. He let his hand fall to the ground, exhausted from the small movement. He heard the sound of water splashing and a moment later, felt the rough edge of a cup against his cheek. He took a breath to prepare himself and struggled into a half sitting position, leaning on his elbow. He quickly swallowed the liquid down, wincing at the after taste of watered down wine. The chaotic orchestra of lights and emotions had dimmed to a dull thudding in the back of his mind, enhanced by the beating of his heart. He felt completely exhausted, like he had just sparred three rounds with Master Windu _after_ running 20 laps around the temple.

"Here's some food," said a small voice. The boy pushed a bowl with bread over to the Jedi and quickly backed out of reach.

Obi-Wan looked at the bowl in the dim light, questioning whether he should risk eating it. But if the Sith wanted him drugged or worse, he would probably enjoy doing it personally, compared to slipping something into his food.

"Thank you," he said in a gravely voice. He slowly began to pick at his food as he moved into a sitting position. He reached for the Force once again but instead of the warm comfort of the light, he was greeted with the cool, oily presence. Not wanted to contaminate himself any more than he already was, he opened his eyes to take in his surrounds, focusing on the present.

His companion was the same boy from before, he was dressed in a dirty tunic and leggings, and trying very hard to avoid Obi-Wan's gaze. As the boy carefully studied the floor, Obi-Wan noticed an imprint on his neck – much like the markings typical of slaves on the Outer Rim planets.

"What's your name?" Obi-Wan asked gently, careful not to frighten the boy any more than he already was.

"Relin", came the response, eyes still glued to the floor.

"How did you get here, Relin?" asked Obi-Wan, already suspecting the answer.

The boy sank further into the floor, then replied, "I was bought by my new Master".

Obi-Wan sighed in frustration, another innocent youngling forced against his will due to slavery. It was the rich preying upon the poor, one of the most evil things in the universe.

  
_It wasn't right, no, it was so wrong… if only he could meet the trader who sold this... child… he would take care of him… it would be so easy, to snap his neck… to run him through with his saber… and he deserved it – to die. It was… right, it felt good to think about what he would do to the monster who sells children… Maybe even sell him to the huts first and then kill him slowly, pieces first, blood pouring, bones breaking…_

"Your neck is changing colors."

Obi-Wan opened eyes that he didn't realize were closed, so engrossed in his dark thoughts.

The boy was pointing to the Jedi's neck, specifically the collar on his neck, which was now pulsing red.

 _Of course, the collar_ , thought Obi-Wan. It affects emotions, enhancing dark feelings. _But it was so quick, so…easy and felt so… right._

"There is no passion, there is serenity." he spoke aloud. It felt more real if he could hear it. He rubbed his eyes, trying to clear his head of the anger. Apparently, he couldn't trust anything with the effects of the collar clouding his judgement.

"What is that?" asked the boy, finally risking a look at the Jedi.

"It's part of the Jedi code, what I grew up learning." _And so easily forgetting, thanks to this kriffing collar._

"So you're a real Jedi then?" The boy looked at him closely, probably trying to decide if Obi-Wan was telling the truth.

"I wouldn't call him a _real_ Jedi," came a voice from the doorway.

Obi-Wan's head snapped up, watching the Sith as he sauntered toward the pair. The boy quickly backed away, trying to get as much distance from both the Jedi and the Sith as possible.

"More like a pathetic stray that his Master can't get rid of… Tell me, how many missions were failures because you couldn't live up to your Master's expectations?" The Sith gave a cruel smile as the Jedi's eyes hardened.

He walked to where Obi-Wan was seated and grabbed him by the hair, yanking his head up to look into his face.

"No smart replies today? No matter, I have better things planned." Wrapping his arm around the Jedi's neck, still holding him by the hair, he dragged him a few feet backwards, throwing him down on his back on the hard ground. He quickly straddled him and placed both hands on either side of the Jedi's head. Before Obi-Wan had a chance to fight him off, the Sith placed his forehead against his opponents forehead and closed his eyes.

Obi-Wan's eyes snapped open wide as the Sith entered his mind forcefully and painfully. Obi-Wan tried vainly to distance himself, using his hands to push the creatures head away, but the Zebrak swiftly slammed Obi-Wan's head against the floor, forcing the Jedi to blink rapidly to keep from losing consciousness.

Now that the Sith had full access, there was nothing Obi-Wan could do but endure the pain as the Sith roughly filtered through his mind, leafing through his memories, lingering on the ones that were painful, both old and new. He could only watch in horror and agony as the Sith scoffed at his happiest moments, tainting his good memories with the Dark aura. His secrets were being exposed to his worst enemy. As the Sith ravaged through, Obi-Wan discreetly worked to secure his most personal and intimate thoughts deep within his subconscious, adding locks and thick walls to keep it secure.

 _My little Jedi, you seem to be rejected again and again_. He could hear the smirk that accompanied those words through his mind. After several minutes _or was it hours_ , the Sith came to the locked door in the confines of his subconscious. He attempted to break down the invisible barrier to no avail. Again and again, he beat against it, but it would not open. Obi-Wan heard himself utter _NO_ , unsure if it was spoken aloud or came from inside his mind.

The Sith's eyes snapped open in anger, eyes bright yellow against black and red.

Grabbing the Jedi by the shoulders, he yelled "What is it you're hiding?"

He stood up and stalked away from the prone Jedi, who had curled up on his side, grasping his head in pain.

"Come boy", snarled the Sith as he walked toward the exit. The boy scrambled quickly to his feet to follow after his master.

Maul growled in anger as the doors closed behind his slave. Kenobi's mind should be like putty in his hands due to the weakened physical state and the adverse effects of the dark Force collar. He should have access to _all_ of this thoughts and memories… To be denied was infuriating beyond words.

He turned a corner and stormed through a doorway – another prison cell, much smaller than the others. He had hired some mercenaries to take care of guarding this center and loading / unloading cargo and supplies. Maul didn't have time to worry about the trivial things needed to keep his base up and running. One of the mercs was caught trying to take an early flight out of the solar system (along with a few thousand credits) and was now spending his time in a cell.

Maul opened the cell door with use of the Force and with the flick of his hand, dragged the prisoner out in the open. Ignoring the man's pleas, he began beating the man, letting his anger fill his mind and body until all he saw was red. He relished the feeling of letting it take control of him – being consumed with the hate and passion of the Dark side. After several minutes, he turned away, breathing heavy, feeling the prisoners life force bleed out. Taking deep breaths and feeling satisfied, he turned away and walked slowly out of the door, not even noticing the frightened boy waiting outside in the hallway.

"Go prepare my food" he said to the boy. With wide eyes, the slave quickly hurried away. Maul turned the other way, an inkling of a plan forming in his mind… a way to break the captive Jedi.

* * *

"You know, you're not helping anyone by refusing to eat." Mace said as he found a plate on untouched food next to the Jedi master. Qui-Gon sighed, and turned to look at his old friend.

"There's nothing, Mace. I looked through all the security tapes in the palace and the city. How could he just vanish?" Mace leaned against the doorway, taking in the Jedi's tall frame. He'd seen his friend in many dire circumstances – after Xanatos, the apprentice who turned, after missions gone wrong, when Tahl died – which Mace wasn't sure Qui-Gon would have ever recovered from… but this was worse. He could feel the desperation and panic in the tall Jedi's Force signature – could see the worry and fear in the lines of his face, could hear the slight tremble in the man's hands as he looked through the papers in front of him. It had been two days since Obi-Wan was seen in the reactor pit and there had been no leads. Mace had canvassed the surrounding areas, which was a dead end – everyone was so caught up in the battle with the federation that no one noticed the black clothed figure.

"But you can't just disappear without a trace, Qui-Gon. There has to be something." he said, trying to reassure his friend. "Have you been able to sense anything from him?" he asked.

"I've tried, Mace. I've spent time in meditation, trying to sense him. I've followed the bond to see where it leads, but it just ends outside of the hanger." Qui-Gon stood up and started pacing the floor.

"We haven't been as close these last few days…things had been escalating and there was no time to explain" he went on, speaking to himself as much as the Korun Master. "In the Council room chambers... " He looked knowingly at Mace, "I think I hurt him badly."

The air grew thick with emotion, neither Master voicing their thoughts. Qui-Gon didn't expect reassurances – he know the chances of finding his Padawan were getting slimmer as the minutes passed by, but it didn't stop him from hoping for an encouraging word, that it would be alright.

"Qui-Gon," Mace began quietly, delicately, "how do you know he's even alive?"

"I'd felt if he became one with the Force" Qui-Gon stated with more confidence then he felt. He just hoped he was right.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...much like Maul, I did NOT see this coming... Gotta love when stories seem to write themselves!
> 
> Hope you enjoy!!!

Obi-Wan awoke with a start, eyes wide to utter blackness and tightness around his neck. He couldn't remember the last time he had slept more than a few minutes. Not only was the collar making it difficult to take a deep breath but it also made his mind a battle ground. As soon as he closed his eyes, his thoughts would drift to nightmares. It was usually past missions that ended badly, friends that had died, conversations that concluded with arguments and ended with his Master's disappointed gaze. The worst were of Melida/Daan and the mission to New Absolon. Each time, he would awaken feeling the failures like they were new, feeling the rejection like it was yesterday.

_And it was true, wasn't it. My life could be summed up in a few glances of pity and remorse. I had to beg to even become a Jedi learner only to have spent the last 12 years trying to make up for mistakes of my past._

So lost in his thoughts, he nearly jumped when the door swung opened. He took a deep breath and used the chains to get to a standing position – not easily done with broken ribs. The last thing he wanted was to be on his back as the Sith approached.

The Sith entered the room and took inventory of his captor. Dirt streaked the Jedi – his upper lip was swollen and cracked and multiple bruises covered his face. His chest and ribs were a molted vision of purples and blues with streaks of red circling from his back to hug his sides. His pant legs were torn and the gash on his leg was starting to scab. The skin around the collar was red and inflamed with tiny tendrils of black starting to crawl up toward his chin and down to his collarbone. As his eyes swept over the man, he felt a tingle of excitement when they landed on his eyes – although his body was bruised and broken, the steady look of resolve and determination shined brightly in the low light.

 _Very good_ , the Sith thought with a wicked smirk.

Maul turned and walked to his supply cabinet. He took out a vibrowhip and slammed the door shut. He walked slowly toward the Jedi, like a predator approaching his prey, and coiled the whip between his hands.

"They had a celebration yesterday," he began in a low growl, rolling the handle between his fingers.

"The Queen," he practically spit the word out, "gave a speech about the great victory over darkness.

He let the black corded whip drop to the floor and pressed a button to turn on the weapon. Immediately the cord turned a blue glow and a hum filled the air. Maul held up the handle to inspect the vibrations running through it and whipped it in the air. He circled the Jedi and as he passed around the front on him, raised his arm up and flicked his wrist to the side.

Obi-Wan hissed as the whip bit across the front of his abdomen, drawing a red cut along his skin. The whip hit three more times at his chest and ribs, leaving a crisscross of marks. Maul abruptly stepped close to Obi-Wan and gripping his chin with his hand, yanked his head back and to the right. Obi-Wan clenched his muscles, waiting for a hit that never came. Instead, Maul whispered in his ear,

"Do you feel victorious?"

Obi-Wan shivered in disgust as he felt the Sith's warm breath prickle his skin. Drawing on the anger that seemed to never leave him, he pulled his head back while using the chains holding his arms to lift his right leg up, hitting the Sith square in the solar plexus. The Sith double over and Obi-Wan used his momentum to kick out his right foot, aiming for his captors face. It was a solid kick that snapped the Sith's head back and had him staggering several feet. Obi-Wan was gasping at the effort but couldn't help but smirk at the look of surprise on the Sith's face, which was followed immediately by pure rage.

Obi-Wan took one more breath to steady himself, trying to control his shaking body and replied in his perfect core accent, "A little."

The Sith let out an inhuman growl as he unclipped his lightsaber from his side and stalked to the chained Jedi. Using his extinguished saber as a club, he put all his weight into a powerful blow that hit Obi-Wan hard on his right side of face, snapping his neck to the left. He then threw his lightsaber in the air, caught it with his other hand and proceeded to hit him on the left side of his face. So stunned from the assault and taste of his own blood, Obi-Wan was only vaguely aware of a lightsaber being powered on and his arms and body dropping to the ground. The Sith was on him in an instant, holding his lightsaber to Obi-Wan's neck, the Jedi lying on the floor. Obi-Wan arched his back and craned his head back, trying to escape the heat of the lightsaber from burning his chin.

Maul was enveloped in the Dark Side – he breathed it in and relished the rage he felt. Having the Jedi helpless with his saber to his neck was intoxicating. He watched the Jedi's eyes as he brought the saber closer to his skin, looking for any traces of fear. Maul tilted his head as an idea came to his mind. He turned the knob to power down his saber until the blade was only five inches in height, than touched it to the black collar. He watched the Jedi's eyes go wide and seconds later start to yell.

Adi Gallia stared at the holo screen, concentration written over her face. After leaving the planet of Naboo, they had rushed back to Coruscant, hoping to find a direct link to the Sith's allies. They should have known it had been too easy. Instead of coming in on a secure transmission, the signal was bounced on the general communications log of the largest spaceport in the district of Kata'an.

"Is there a way to trace it?" Ki-Adi-Mundi asked, peering over her shoulder at the lines of code.

Adi's hands flew over the keys as she responded.

"Typically not. The server computer should have deleted any transmissions older than 12 hours… but for some reason, it short circuited and there is a chance..." She paused as another screen popped up to her right.

"Since we know the time that the transmission was sent from Naboo, we can estimate the approximate time that it would have come through this communication beacon. I could go through the codes of incoming and outgoing transactions within a 2 hour range and should find our transmission and where it is headed." She typed a few more lines of copy and hit the enter key, scoffing when the answer appeared.

"How many lines of copy are there?" asked Mundi.

"About 2 main." She leaned back in her seat and steeped her hands, staring at the holo screen.

"Two million." He said under his breath.

Adi finally took her eyes off the screen to look at Yoda.

"It's not guaranteed to be a success. For all we know, it could have bounced back to a ship, which could have changed positions by now. But since this should have been deleted and wasn't, maybe this is a gift from the Force."

Yoda looked at Adi, then nodded.

"Right, you may be. Mysterious, the ways of the Force. Be taken for granted, it should not."

He tapped his walking stick on the floor as he turned to the door. "Do what you can now. Meditate on these events, I will. A gathering of the Dark Side approaches. Ready, we must be."

"Mundi," Adi said, already turning back to the screen, "can you get Jocasta Nu on the communicator? We'll need all the help we can get.

Obi-Wan had never felt so much pain in his entire life. He struggled frantically to escape it, but there was nowhere to go - he was pinned between his captor and the durasteel floor. He could feel his skin burning where it touched the white-hot collar, fusing it deeper into his skin. The agony was like nothing he had ever felt.

 _This is how I'm going to die,_ he thought in shock. Black spots appeared in his vision and he felt his senses dimming. He hardly felt the pain as his mind was losing consciousness. He watched in a daze as the Sith abruptly stood and moved out of his sight. Obi-Wan could only groan as his arm was pulled roughly up and behind him and he was dragged to the wall. Between half closed eyes, he watched the Sith push a hidden groove in the wall and take out a medical syringe. He didn't even feel the bite of the needle, but the effects were instantaneous. Adrenaline coursed through his veins and the pain renewed full force, choking out any hope of relief. As the drugs ran through his body, he couldn't help but focus on the enemy's face, couldn't help but listen to the words he was saying…

"...already been replaced…"

A holo was opened and placed in his line of vision. It was a crowded street full of happy people, he recognized the Queen of Naboo smiling on a stage – he didn't know she was capable of that – and a few yards away was a man in Jedi robes. The Sith was talking but Obi-Wan wasn't processing the words. He stared at the face of his Master, not understanding what he was looking at. The image was replaced with another – a close up of his Master smiling, looking down with pride on the boy from Tatooine… the boy who was dressed in similar robes and Jedi haircut… _Padawan_ , Obi-Wan realized with a jolt.

Obi-Wan eyes grew distant as his brain spun a mile a minute, trying to make sense of this information.

"…Master Qui-Gon" the Sith sneered, "only trained you out of pity. You are nothing but a worthless obligation – and now that you are out of the picture, he moved on."

Obi-Wan could only make out a few broken phrases as he withdrew into himself, trying to protect what little of his soul was not already broken.

"…nothing but a mistake..."

"…he couldn't wait to be rid of you."

"Itsss'not right," he groaned, pain hot in his throat from the simple noise. _It couldn't be true…_ Obi-Wan's eyes darted back and forth, trying to process the information, the voices in his head fighting for dominance.

_In the council room – pity for the poor Padawan who was being pushed aside for a prophecy. All I ever wanted was to become a Jedi Knight – to make Qui-Gon proud. Every waking moment was spent trying to fulfill that purpose and some boy takes my place overnight. How long did it take me to win a gaze of approval from Qui-Gon? How many nights did I spend thinking how I could be better._

Obi-Wan's eyes snapped open in realization, ignoring his surrounding as he went back in time to the Council chambers where he was pushed aside for something better... _Just another failure, just like Xanatos._

He was unaware of knees pushing on his broken ribs… of the fists hitting him on his face.

_His Master found a better apprentice._

His muscles clenched and he started to hyperventilate. The fire in his body now matched the burn on his skin.

_No one was looking for him._

His mind was a blur – the static in his head was overloaded all his senses. He let it go too far, he can't stop it…

_No no no no no nononono NOT AGAIN_

The fire was building inside him, consuming his organs, boiling his blood.

He tried to shout so he could hear his own thoughts…pain was his only constant – the buzzing in his head was excruciating. He was out of control – of body and mind.

 _The Sith,_ a voice in his mind screamed in the midst of the others shouting for attention in his head.

Through drug hazed eyes, he looked up at his captor's face, he could see uncertainty behind the yellow eyes. Unaware of his actions – his body and mind now on autopilot, he reached his hands up and grabbed the Sith's head, bringing it down hard against his own forehead. For a split second as their minds met, Obi-Wan could feel a touch of fear – not from him, but from the Sith. Instinctively he followed that thread of emotion into the Sith's mind, the dark Force acting on its own to paralyze his enemy. He riffled through memories, relishing the rising amount of panic it created in his opponent. He let the power course through him, _exhilarating and intoxicating_...

Obi-Wan's eyes snapped open in horror, gasping at what he was doing. Immediately the agony returned ten-fold. Pain rippled through him in two second bursts – each time getting stronger and stronger. With a wild yell, he released the Force, the Sith's scream echoing in his mind as his body turned to fire.

Miles away, two very different masters were brought to their knees with overwhelming pain – neither aware of the other's role they would play.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yikes it’s been two months since I last updated??? Will try to rectify that in the future! And sorry this chapter’s a little short... I’ll make the next one extra long!  
> Thanks to all who read and comment - it def keeps me motivated (and makes my day!!)

Qui-Gon breathed deeply through his nose, trying to regain control of his body. What little content was in his stomach minutes before was now strewn all over the plush carpet of the Nabooian palace. He was vaguely aware of Mace beside him and a swirl of servants and droids flustering around, but he was more focused on the intense pain coursing through his body. It felt like he had swallowed a white hot poker and it was burning him from the inside. He looked at his hands to see the flames that were surely licking at his skin, but saw only forgotten scars.

Someone touched his back, and cooling energy blossomed at the touch - Mace. With eyes closed, he reached to find his center, pulling at the Force to pinpoint the pain. He reached for his head, mind realizing the pain was coming through his bond with his apprentice, and was instantly hit with a second wave of intense pain that threw him to the floor. Panic seized his chest as pin pricks consumed his vision, he knew whatever he was feeling was coming from his Padawan.

" _Stay awake,"_ he whispered, knowing someone was causing horrible pain to his apprentice, the boy he had raised to a man. He needed to find him now, not waste more time. Unbelievably the pain seemed to build and Qui-Gon mentally heard a soft snap that echoed in his head, _someone died,_ but not his padawan because it still hurt and _please just let me die_ but that wasn't _his thought_.

"Obi-Wan" Qui-Gon whispered trying to project back through the open bond – if he could hear his Padawan's thoughts, then Qui-Gon should be able to reply…But his pleas went unheard as he was pulled under to unconsciousness, thoughts of his apprentice clutching his heart and consuming his dreams.

* * *

"Chancellor Palpatine?"

All eyes in the Naboo throne room turned toward the newly elected Chancellor, the remains of the broken tea cup scattered on the stone floor beside him.

Sheev Palpatine licked his lips as he squeezed his eyes shut, clenching his fists under his extravagant robe.

"My sincere apologies, my Queen." He said with a grimace as he stood gingerly to his feet among the various government officials and royalty, ducking his head at the Queen.

"It seems that I am feeling rather under the weather at the moment." He took a slow breath, sweat glistening on his brow, "Would it be possible to reconvene in the morning?"

"Of course Chancellor," the Queen responded, void of emotion, "I will have someone escort you to your chambers immediately." She nodded to a security team member as she spoke.

"You are too kind, but that won't be necessary, thank you Your Highness." He gave a gentle smile as he bowed, "I'm sure it is just something I ate… I, " he took a breath, "…I know all are tired from the events that transpired – I myself haven't been sleeping as much as I should. I believe this is nothing a little rest can't cure." He gazed around the room with sympathetic eyes before resting again on the Queen submissively.

The Queen nodded and rose, "We will reconvene tomorrow at 9th chime."

The Chancellor bowed again then collected his papers with shaking hands. He quickly turned and left through the side doors, heading to his private quarters. Several minutes passed before he came to his suite. He quickly keyed in his passcode and entered.

As soon as the doors slide shut, he fell to the floor and took several ragged breaths. It took all he had to hide the intense pain from those around him, the final scream from his apprentice still echoing in his head. The bond was ragged and burned at the end – a blistering wound in his skull. He let the pain fuel his anger. He cursed at the blaringly obvious conclusion. His worthless apprentice had gotten himself killed.

_That pathetic scum, playing with the Jedi brat, had ruined everything. Years of planning and training – wasted._

He knew his apprentice had taken the Jedi – he had heard it from the Captain himself. He was planning on severely punishing him for pulling such a stunt and jeopardizing the carefully thought out plan…

He slammed his fists on the floor and he cursed again, spittle flying from his lips. As angry as he was, here and now was not the time or place to release it. He got up and walked to the fresher, palming the door open violently. He stared into yellow eyes – eyes that reminded him of his worthless apprentice and the mess that HE would now have to clean up. He yelled in anger as he slammed his fist into the glass mirror, shattering it into a million pieces and blood rushing from a dozen cuts.

The intense pain was clouding his judgement. And now he had more loose ends to clean up. He yanked a towel down and turned the water on, washing his bleeding hand, reserving a drop on the tip of his finger. He walked to the large black desk in the corner of the room and pressed a hidden button on the side while pressing his blood laced finger to an invisible key pad. After a slight hesitation, a drawer silently opened, revealing an ornate lightsaber, black robe and small tracking device. He grabbed the items as he summoned his coat with a frivolous use of the Force and made his way out the secret entrance he used in emergencies, concealing his lightsaber and robe and checking the devise. The small microchip he had planted in his apprentice's lightsaber would lead him to all this mess. He would find the body and get rid of the evidence. He clenched his jaw as he mentally siphoned the anger and pain to be used later – he would save it for the person responsible for his apprentices' untimely demise.

* * *

When Darth Sidious finally arrived at the last known location of the deceased apprentice, it was several hours later. It didn't take long to bypass the security system – they were competent, but he was better. He passed by door after door, following the muted Force presence of his former apprentice, stopping at a heavy duracrete doorway. He palmed it open and entered hesitantly, igniting his lightsaber as he did.

The room smelled of burned flesh and copper. He used the Force to key in the lights as he surveyed the damage. There were chains lying in the middle of the floor, which was covered in various degrees of bloodshed – from drops to puddles. Scorch marks and lightsaber burns were evident in the room, but what caught his eye were the two figures in the far corner. He walked over slowly, taking in the scene before him.

His apprentice was lying several feet from the Jedi, on what he believed to be his back. It was difficult to tell as third degree burns covered head and upper body – making a face almost completely unrecognizable. Blackened skin gave way to the familiar red and black tattoos where visible. He stepped around the body to focus on the Jedi, his curiosity outweighing any sympathy in the death of his apprentice.

He was alive, bare chest rising and falling with ragged breaths. Wounds covered his torso and snaked down below his trousers, blood tinting the waistband a darker color. There was a rather deep knife wound on his leg and several broken ribs. His former apprentice had enjoyed himself – one could tell from the blunt trauma bruises and cuts that littered the captive Jedi's face. His gaze traveled down to pause at the black collar wrapped tightly around the Jedi's neck, the glossy obsidian reflecting the artificial light. The skin around it was burned a fiery red and bubbled at the edges. A feral smile appeared as his eyes traced the black lines branching out from the collar. They stood out nicely against the pale skin that wasn't covered in brusies, reaching to twirl up to the Jedi's jawline and below toward his chest.

Sidious circled the Jedi as his mind raced through the possibilities. Maul may have been a fool, but he was a well-trained warrior. The Jedi must be powerful if he was able to defeat him as wounded as he was. He closed his eyes, listening to the Dark side of the Force. He let it flow through him, guiding him through a meditation, concentrating on where he was located. Slowly the room began to appear in his mind, a black background with shapes highlighted in various colors. He saw a damaged lightsaber, last held by his apprentice; the chains where the Jedi had spent most of the time attached to and the broken hypo, knarled and twisted from a blast – the same blast that had ended his apprentice.

Using his mind, he swept his hand to the left - time seemed to stand still as Sidious asked the Dark side to reveal what had occurred. Just when he thought the Dark had rejected his request to see in the past, his world was suddenly lit with a red blast of energy. He watched time reverse and was not surprised to see it originate from the very own Jedi Padawan.

His eyes snapped open as he reached for the Jedi to confirm what he suspected. As soon as his hand made contact he felt a jolt of energy and a jumble of images assaulting him, darkness fighting its way inside. He straightened and let out a lewd cackle, delighted with the results and having a new respect for his former apprentice. Finding an object this powerful was rare indeed, how his apprentice had gotten his hands on it was certainly an enigma. He evidentially had no idea what he had stumbled upon. To the untrained student, Sith artifacts would mean certain death… but to the right teacher it could prove valuable beyond words.

He headed toward the hallway, making sure the door was locked behind him and hurried down the corridor – he had passed some hired hands behind bars and he could find use for a few of them.

He might have lost his apprentice, but he was about to get a new one.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much to all who read and comment - you guys are awesome!!! And sorry for the slow updates - a couple things should slow down for me starting in July so I’ll have more time to knock out chapters... hopefully!  
> Annnnd, this may seem like a filler (“come on and get back to Obi!!”) but it’s necessary for the plot... I’ve already started the next chapter and have seen said Padawan alive and healt... oh uh, well, at least alive...

Qui-Gon awoke with a start, eyes snapping awake as his mind jolted to alertness. The intense pain he had felt before was gone, his link to his Padawan was silent once again. He took in his surroundings as he sat up.

Someone, Mace most likely, had gotten him back to his room, although he had no recollection of it. He noticed a vacant chair by the bed, one that hadn't been there before. The windows were the only source of light in the room, clouds shielded the sun, tinging the chamber in an eerie glow. He rose and walked across the stone floor to kneel at a spot where the distilled light could touch his skin, eyes closing in meditation. The floor beneath him seemed to pull the warmth from his body, a stark contrast to what he had felt through his Padawan earlier. He had felt pain through many bonds before, from his former Master and all of his apprentices at one time or another, but none at that magnitude… he was left wondering how anyone could survive something that horrific…

_But he was alive… no, IS alive._

To think any different was a betrayal – one that he could not contemplate. A wiser self would say to come to terms with the possibility that Obi-Wan could be killed. He just…couldn't. Unlike his Padawan, he didn't have much experience in the Unified Force, but he believed with all his being that Obi-Wan will accomplish great things in the future. He had to be alive.

He took a deep breath, trying to focus on the here and now – what he knew to be true.

His apprentice is alive

He is being cut off from the Force

He was somehow able to get the Force back for a few moments

He is in terrible pain

And they have no leads – other than he is indeed still on planet

He rubbed his face as he struggled to fall into meditation, grasping onto the Master/Padawan bond and trying to follow it. As before, it simply disappeared into a solid white fog. After testing it a few more times, he decided to follow it the other way, where the strongest memories of their partnership were located. Most were happy, a few bittersweet and further down were the painful struggles that accompanied all relationships.

One memory in particular seemed to glow brighter than the rest. He curiously reached for it, realizing it was from a mission just a few months earlier.

_**Begin Flashback**_

" _Excuse me?" Obi-Wan said, eyebrows arched in astonishment as he looked up from his carefully written notes._

" _I think it would be beneficial to take the princess out for dinner tomorrow night." Qui-Gon said as he leaned his back against the counter of the upscale kitchen quarters where the pair was having a midnight cup of tea._

" _A date?" he asked again slowly in disbelief, notes now forgotten, his mind trying to understand where his Master was going with the conversation._

" _Not a date," Qui-Gon said as he pushed himself off the counter and turned to empty the kettle, "think of it as a night off in the company of royalty." He smiled at the wall, imaging the look of shock on his Padawan's face._

" _And_ _ **why**_ _would this be favorable?" Asked Obi-Wan slowly, still completely confused and trying to be diplomatic._

_Qui-Gon wiped the grin off his face as he turned back to his apprentice._

" _These are a proud and superficial people. Both sides of the parties are content with the agreement, but the West refuses to sign. They enjoy the attention and gossip it creates." He said as he sat down in the opposite chair, pausing to taking a sip of his dark tea._

_Qui-Gon watched his apprentices' eyebrows rise to an impressive height. They both sat in silence for a moment, daring the other to speak first._

" _As you know, we've been here just under three weeks. The treaty was completed last week, but the King refuses to sign. As it happened, as I was walking back to our rooms, I ran into the King's Hand… Apparently it is local custom for visiting royalty to court the King's daughter, if she so pleases."_

_Qui-Gon reached across to the middle of the table to pick a grape from a basket of fruit, "He said the King would sign the treaty if we respect their custom."_

" _But I'm not royalty." Obi-Wan replied, with a look in incredibility._

" _Are you sure about that? The way you press your robes would beg to differ." Qui-Gon grinned behind his mug, amusement dancing along their bond._

" _Oh that's funny," Obi-Wan shot back with an eye roll. "Since you find this so amusing, would you like to take the princess to dinner?"_

_Qui-Gon let out a bark of laughter, "We're trying to respect their customs, not insult them. The Princess is 20 years old. I don't believe she wants to spend dinner with an old man."_

" _You know," Obi-Wan began, his Core accent causing his voice to rise and fall, "this is just payback for what happened on our last mission to Marin 4… I specifically remembered telling you that the local flora caused skin irritation…" He was quickly cut off by his Master._

" _Which I have no recollection of," Qui-Gon replied, holding up his hand. "And, if I remember correctly, you found it quite amusing how I had to walk around with pink dye all over my hands and neck."_

_With sparkling eyes, Obi-Wan replied serenely, "That is an image I will never forget."_

_Qui-Gon smiled, mentally yanking on the padawan braid through the bond as Obi-Wan's laugh echoed in his mind._

" _Well, if it's not revenge, it's quite a remarkable coincidence." Obi-Wan concluded, left eyebrow raised at the ready._

" _I don't believe in coincidences, Padawan mine." He said with a wink, "I'd prefer will of the Force."_

_They both sipped their tea for a few moments, enjoying the comfortable silence that comes with a close relationship. Taking his last swig of now lukewarm tea, Obi-Wan crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair, empty mug sitting on the table._

" _So, a date." He said, dead-pan._

_Qui-Gon mimicked his Padawan's posture and replied with a smile, "A dinner."_

_***Three days later***_

_The Master/Padawan team sat at an elaborate dinner celebration in the main hall, brown cloaks exchanged for dress robes provided by the King. The final agreement was signed by both parties and the festivities were now under way. The Jedi made small talk with the various nobles sitting across and beside them as the royal families of the two kingdoms sat on opposite ends of the banquet table. By the time dessert was served, a good portion of their dinner companions had vacated to the dance floor and were engaging in a traditional two step dance, allowing Qui-Gon to sit back and appreciate the joyful atmosphere._

_He eyed his Padawan talking earnestly with a well-dressed man, a senator by the look of it, and an older woman covered in extravagant jewelry, and felt a pinch of sadness. The thirteen year old boy from years ago could barely be seen beneath the man Obi-Wan had become. Qui-Gon could only wonder how many missions they had left together before Obi-Wan would be knighted._

_His reverie was interrupted by a tall middle aged women who appeared by his side._

" _Master Jedi," she began with a curtsy, "I have heard you are quite talented at the dance. Would you care to escort me?"_

_Qui-Gon smoothly stood and bowed his head at the noblewoman, noticing his apprentice and companions were watching the exchange._

" _And from whom did you hear that from, may I ask?"_

" _Your student made mention," she leaned in with a wink, "it's not very often I can find a dancing escort taller than I."_

_Qui-Gon smiled politely at the noblewoman while he nudged at the bond linked to his apprentice, projecting 'nice try' though the link._

" _I assure you, my Padawan exaggerates…I seem to take after him at dancing and tend to have two left feet." He smiled as those around him chuckled and his eyes landed briefly on the amused look from Obi-Wan._

" _I am flattered by the request and would be honored to have this dance, but unfortunately, I was just about to take leave. I have yet to pack for the long ride back to Coruscant." Qui-Gon said, with an apologetic smile._

" _Oh, your student didn't tell you? He has everything packed and ready to go." The older women beside Obi-Wan said loudly._

" _Oh, did he now?" Qui-Gon said, voice inflecting to a pitch slightly higher than normal – something no one but his Padawan would notice._

_Obi-Wan tried to look thoughtful and humble, wiping the smirk off his face with a napkin as he replied, "I know how much you enjoy dancing, my Master, so I pulled a few strings to give you some extra time."_

" _And the ship…" Qui-Gon began,_

" _I just spoke with the mechanic – she will be ready to fly in 2 hours._

" _Oh, what a wonderful coincidence! It seems that your student has thought of everything." The little old lady said, looking admiringly at Obi-Wan._

" _It certainly seems that way." Qui-Gon said, trying to secretly glare at his Padawan while smiling at those around him. He nodded toward Obi-Wan, "And will you be joining us on the dance floor then?"_

" _Oh, he promised to walk me back to my room." The older woman smiled as she looked at Qui-Gon, "He is quite a gentleman."_

" _Yes," Qui-Gon agreed, watching as Obi-Wan's eyes sparked in amusement, "sometimes I wonder just where he got it from."_

" _Why, from you of course, Master." Obi-Wan said as he tipped his head toward Qui-Gon, laughter ringing from the bond. He turned to his elderly companion as he spoke quietly, knowing Qui-Gon could hear, "For instance, did you know that Jedi don't believe in coincidences…"_

_Qui-Gon couldn't help the laugh that escaped from his lips as he led his partner to the floor._

_**End Flashback**_

Qui-Gon pulled out of his meditation, the loss of his Padawan even more painful after pondering that memory. He mulled it over, curious as to why the Force had chosen those particular moments for review… He spent several minutes searching for answers when he heard the door open.

He opened his eyes to see Mace coming in the doorway.

"I'm glad to see you're awake." Mace said in his deep baritone voice, "Although I was hoping to be here when you got up.

"How long was I out?" asked Qui-Gon as Mace sat down across from him.

"All night," he began, "you had the attack at 8th hour last night and its half past 5th hour now."

Mace followed Qui-Gon's eyes to the bedside chair.

"I wanted to be here when you woke in case you were disoriented." He trailed off, eyes not leaving Qui-Gon's face. "What happened, my friend?"

"It came from my bond with Obi-Wan… I've never felt pain like that in my life." He began, "It was like my body was on fire." He paused as the memory swept through him, and continued slowly, "and then I felt a life presence shatter."

"Not Obi-Wan's" he said quickly at Mace's expression, "I could have sworn it came from a Force user in close proximity to me. But after confirming you and Anakin were unharmed, I realized it must have come across the bond from Obi-Wan… someone that was in close proximity to _him_."

The room was quiet as Qui-Gon struggled to control his emotion.

"I heard his thoughts Mace." He said, voice just above a whisper and his eyes revealing his heartache, "he wanted to die."

Mace reached across to put his hand on Qui-Gon's shoulder as he said quietly, "But he's not dead yet, Qui. This is proof that he is alive. And if he was able to communicate once, maybe he can do it again."

Qui-Gon shook his head, "I have a feeling we won't be hearing from him again. I think that encounter took all he had."

"The shatter you felt – have you checked all other bonds to confirm they are intact?" Qui-Gon nodded, aware of the many bonds that can form between individuals in the Force. Master/ Padawan bonds were incredibly strong, second only to Life bonds. And then there were much lesser bonds between friends and finally the harmless but audible snap when another Force user dies in the same vicinity. How far one could hear the snap depended on one's strength in the Living Force and proximity to the victim.

"Do you think it could be the Sith…" Mace began,

"I guess there is a chance, it just felt too close to be an enemy," Qui-Gon sighed, "but I'm not sure what he could be subjected to. If the Sith entered his mind then…"

The men were interrupted by the comm unit on Mace's side. He glanced at Qui-Gon as he answered it.

A woman's voice came over the comm unit, "Mace, it's Adi. We were able to trace that call to Coruscant - it was bounced to a space port but by the luck of the Force, we located the transmission. It was transmitted to the Senate building."

"The Senate building?" Mace asked in shock, Qui-Gon's face mirroring his own.

"The one and the same," she said. "It was picked up there by someone – unfortunately the records had already been recorded over so there is no way we can link it to any particular individual. I have some calls in to some of my friends in the Senate to see if they noticed anything peculiar, but if this individual was smart enough to cover their tracks this well, I doubt they would leave any evidence behind."

"I find it disturbing that this has led us to the Senate. We'll need to heed special caution around all those coming and going from that building." Mace said as he rubbed his chin.

"How goes the search to find Padawan Kenobi?" Adi asked, her voice turning more cautious.

Mace glanced at his friend before replying, "The Force will provide."

There was a pause as Adi read between the lines – they still had no leads. "Then may the Force be with you both."

"And you as well." Mace said before ending the call.

Qui-Gon rose as Mace returned the comm to his belt. "Could a Sith really be hidden somewhere in the Senate? He'd have to have passed by the Jedi Temple, not to mention come into contact with Jedi many times for that to be true."

"Qui, two weeks ago I'd say that would be inconceivable. But the Sith are back and we had no clue they even existed… At this rate, anything is possible."


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it probably says something negative about my character when it’s so easy to write Obi-torture... but Im not gonna dwell on it 😜
> 
> I tried something new w this one - I wanted to show perspective from both sides - hopefully it’s not too hard to follow!
> 
> Speaking of which, thanks to all those who reviewed the last two chapters - at least two people mentioned like a “savior Sidious” idea and it totally changed my whole perspective on this and the next few chapters (in a good way, I’m hoping!) 
> 
> As always, let me know what you think - as mentioned above it could totally alter the story (and will def make my day)

By now, pain was a constant. It was such a normality at this point that it wasn't the first thing he noticed as he stumbled through the fog of wakening. Instead it was the smell – burnt flesh and copper underlined with the sharp tinge of bacta. It was nauseating and he had to fight the urge to vomit. The noise in his head had dimmed to whispers – another constant now in his life. He pushed them to the back of his mind and tried to ignore the words. Instead he focused on his surroundings, a cloth around his eyes, the feeling of rope against his wrists, arms pulled tight behind him, a hard surface pushed against his back to keep him upright. He carefully flexed his fingers, feeling pins and needles work down his wrists and forearms. He felt a pull at the base on the back of his left wrist, but couldn't move his hands to experiment what it could be. He tested movement with his foot and realized his legs were free, and he was sitting on some sort of chair, blindfolded of course. He tilted his head to listen for any indicator of another in the room and fire clawed at his neck, a sick sensation sweeping through him again. His stomach pitched once more but he pushed it down. The odor of bacta smelled stronger than before – maybe they didn't want him dead after all. He didn't want to think through the pros and cons of that…

He thought back to the last thing he remembered but it wasn't clear…he was captured by the Sith and held for, what… days, a week maybe? It was hard to know… food never came at regular intervals, if it came at all… unless it had only be three days – could that be all it's been?

The noise in the background was getting louder and Obi-Wan tried to focus on something, anything. It seemed to get louder when he let his mind wander…

The sound of a door opening and footsteps approaching pulled him out of his reverie. As the footsteps came closer, Obi-Wan braced for an assault. Instead, the blindfold was roughly removed, and he blinked rapidly, squinting at the bright light in order to see his captor. Slowly, the blurriness shaped into a humanoid male, powerfully built in tight shirt and black mask, holding a bucket. He shut his eyes as the contents were thrown at him, gasping as he was covered in cold water. He groaned as his body broke into shivers, his eyes opening again… and landing on a body a few feet away, blackened skin meeting red and black tattoos. In an instant, his memory returned full force and there was no stopping the protests of his already volatile stomach. He turned away as best as he could being tied to a chair, his necking screaming in protest from the movements… the smell was coming from _him_ … from _his neck_ and by _his hand_. _He did that to the Sith._

Meanwhile, the masked man squatted behind the Jedi and pulled the intravenous line going from the Jedi's wrist. He roughly unhooked the line that was attached to the bag of clear liquid and moved it, and the pole it was attached to, to the corner of the room. He then took out a clear syringe filled with black liquid from his pocket and inserted it into the port, quickly plunging the contents until the syringe was empty, then watched as the black liquid traveled through the vein of the Jedi – a dark shadow against pale skin. He stood and walked out the door without saying a word.

When the heaving finally subsided, Obi-Wan looked up to see that he was once again alone, except for the body of the Sith, lying on the floor mere feet away. He wanted to believe that it wasn't possible, that he wasn't capable of that kind of destruction… That this was all an elaborate trick created by the Sith – maybe someone the Sith had killed and painted to look like him. Or better yet, this would all be an act - any moment those yellow eyes would open and the torture would begin again. He wanted them to open… wanted the Sith to be alive…because if the Sith was truly dead, then that would mean Obi-Wan had killed him with the Force… He used the _Dark side_ of the Force to _kill someone_.

The jumbled noise in his mind started to rise, a hiss that sounded like it came from somewhere behind him. Startled, he whipped his head, ignoring the pain and soft sound of scabs tearing, trying his best to silence the words that seemed to be getting louder.

* * *

Sidious watched intently through the video feed as the drugs started to affect the Jedi. He saw how his head quickly turned to the side, eyes widening in surprise, then watched as he bent his neck sideways, trying to rub his ear against his shoulder. He took note as the Jedi began bouncing on his bare feet, causing his knees to shake – a normal reaction for any basic creature – but a rare occurrence for a soon to be Jedi knight. He zoomed the camera onto the Jedi's face and could see sweat start to pool at his hairline and his face flush. It wouldn't be long now before…

* * *

"No," Obi-Wan said aloud, answering the voices, shaking his head. "I…I didn't mean…"

_You wanted him dead and killed him_ … the words hissed… _the Dark side came willingly when you called._

"It was self-defense…" Obi-Wan said quickly, voice rising and echoing in the room. He could feel his body shaking, but was helpless to do anything about it. "He was trying to kill me and I…"

_You know you enjoyed it… you welcomed the fear that you produced… you relished in it…_

"This kriffing collar… It's…" Obi-Wan struggled to breath, stopping to try to catch his breath; the heat in the room was stifling.

_Exhilarating…_ the voice hissed _... Intoxicating…_

He couldn't tear his eyes from the dead Sith, now hyperventilating. "I can't help it… it's changing…"

_It just provides the Dark side… you chose to use it… and you used it to kill another_

"NO!" Obi-Wan said loudly, panting as he pulled against the ropes holding him. His eyes roamed the room, looking anywhere but at the burnt zebrac. His eyes landed on the holopic of Qui-Gon with his new padawan.

_"Just because you don't want it to be, doesn't make it any less true_." Qui-Gon's baritone voice filled his mind and Obi-Wan involuntarily moaned in shock.

* * *

"No please Master, you don't understand." Obi-Wan's voice came in clear over the video and Sidious grinned in delight. This was going exactly as he planned. He watched as Obi-Wan continued, eye's dilated. Sidious was sure that if the Jedi was untied, he'd be on the floor begging. He watched as Obi-Wan cocked his head to the side, just as he would if having a normal conversation with a real being. Sidious watched as his eyes widened and his expression turned to horror.

"I'm not making excuses, it's just, if I could explain…" the Jedi said quickly to the empty room, "something is wrong… with me… I need your help.

Silence as Obi-Wan drops his head, then quietly he says, "I'm, I'm tr… trying, please, Master."

Sidious grinned deeper listening to the stutter from the impeccable padawan, wishing he could hear the other side of the conversation that the collar and drugs had concocted.

* * *

Obi-Wan couldn't take a breath. This was too much to handle... he physically jumped when another voice came from his left side.

_Do or do not, there is no try._ Yoda's gravely voice echoed in Obi-Wan's head, the Grand Master's disapproving gaze appeared at the corner of his eye. Obi-Wan could feel his blood pulsing under his skin, his body slick with sweat. He rocked his chair toward the image of the reverent Jedi Master, wishing his body was free of the ropes so he could plead on his knees.

"Master Yoda, pl…please, I, I didn't mean to, you've known me my whole life." Obi-Wan eyes shone with unshed tears.

_Betrayed us, you have Obi-Wan._ Obi-Wan watched in silent horror as the Yoda only he could see shook his head in disappointment and turned away, the sound of the walking cane echoing in his ears. He looked to the right and saw Qui-Gon Jinn standing with his arms crossed upon his chest – a familiar face except for the eyes. He'd only seen those eyes look at the worst kind of criminal – angry and untrusting, disappointed and disgusted.

"Please Master," Obi-Wan began, his tone desperate and pleading, "I would never betray the Order." He could feel tears running down his face, "I would never betray you…you…" he swallowed deeply, chest heaving, "Please, you have to believe me."

Obi-Wan could only bow his head to hid the tears, the pressure in his chest building as Qui-Gon's voice rose in his mind, confirming all of his worst fears.

* * *

Sidious was completely focused on the Jedi. He could practically taste the feelings of deep shame and horror coming from the Jedi in the next room – sitting in the chair, his head bowed so low that his chin must have been touching his chest. He turned up the audio even louder – this was too delicious - he wanted to hear every last word of the one sided conversation.

The Sith master was just about to have someone check on the padawan – he hadn't moved from that position in several minutes – a near impossible feat with the drugs running though his system – when the audio picked up a broken voice.

"I know I've been a disappointment to you in the past. I know I can never make up for the things I've done... But I will die for you before I become one of them."

Sidious's grin dipped, a scowl appearing as he growled in his throat – he threw the remote across the room, where it made a sharp crack against the wall. He could feel the blood pounding between his eyes as his anger took hold, tinting his vision red ever so slightly. _Foolish Jedi and their baseless convictions_ … _he didn't want a martyr, he wanted anger_. He slammed the wall in frustration. The light must run deep in Kenobi to garnish this type of reaction.

_But no matter_ , he thought, _the collar would slowly drain the light, he just needed more time…and some extra motivation._

He motioned to one of the men who stood at the ready by the door while he pulled another black vile out of his robe.

"Give another dose to our captive and meet me back here with four of your crew. The slave boy is still locked in his room – keep him there."

He dismissed him with a wave of his hand as he turned back to the screen. He was tempted to cut the bonds of the Jedi to watch him beg – he did so love to see them on their knees – but that would come as well. And it would be sweeter when he could see it in person.

He reached into his sleeve and felt the cool metal of his lightsaber. He only needed four of the men at his disposal – the fifth would be used to set an example of what would happen if any of them made a mistake. He shook his head, cursing his foolish apprentice for altering his timeline. If only he hadn't gotten himself killed…

Unfortunately, he didn't have much time to spend with the Jedi right now, so the next few days had to be performed perfectly. After all, he was just elected Supreme Chancellor.

But at the same time, he couldn't resist this…delicious opportunity. It's not very often he's handed such an exquisite gift. Kenobi is the complete package – gifted fighter and superior user of the Force, not to mention appealing looks and diplomacy skills– and, thanks to the Dark Force collar, a somewhat pliable putty in a Sith Lord's capable hands.

Sidious licked his lips, aware his thoughts were wandering...Lucky for him, he enjoys a challenge... it makes the end result that much more enticing.

Yes, his newly elected office could wait - he was looking forward to 'playing' with Kenobi. Just thinking about it gave him chills of desire. There is nothing more intoxicating than taking a being and breaking him piece by piece – and there was just _so much_ to tear apart with Kenobi. And he was a fighter – it's hard to find another who can put up a fight against the likes of a Sith Master.

Sidious grinned wickedly, thinking of the day when the Jedi would bow to him willingly. But patience – there would be plenty of time to bask in the beauty of a broken Kenobi once he could remove the stubborn Jedi resolve and affinity to the light. And that was where Supreme Chancellor Palpatine and filthy slave boy would come in.

It was time to enact the next phase of breaking _his_ Jedi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kinda feel like this fic is like a broken record - an endless cycle of angsty cliffhangers one after the other - but I’m thinking only 4 or 5 more chapters til completion. Not sure if it’ll end happy or sad.. input is always welcome and appreciated!! 
> 
> Thanks so much for reading!!!!


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